Granting Wishes and Managing Funds

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Now in its 30th year in Montana, Make-A-Wish® will grant its 600th wish in 2018. The first wish was in the summer of 1987. On September 1, 2015, Montana became the 62nd independent chapter of Make-A-Wish®.

Wishes Granted

A Disney adventure appeals to a large percentage of Montana wish kids. About 40% are wishes to “meet Mickey Mouse” at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Orlando, Fla., go on a trip to Disneyland®, or sail on a Disney Cruise Line® vacation. About 13% wish to visit Hawaii. Other popular wishes include play sets, campers, celebrity meetings and trips to other sites around the country. A majority of wishes of Montana kids (87%) involve air travel. Make-A-Wish® encourages the entire family to be part of the wish experience, knowing that parents and siblings need magic just as much as the wish child.

The average cash cost of a wish in 2017 was $7,781.

Funding Sources

Most of our funding comes from individuals, corporations and grants. Other funding sources include community organizations, schools and churches.

Allocation of Expenses

Make-A-Wish is proud of the way it manages the generous contributions it receives from individuals, corporations, grants and smaller organizations. 75% of all donations fund wish-granting activities. This percentage exceeds the standard upheld by organizations monitoring the work of charities. To view Make-A-Wish Montana's most recently available IRS Form 990 and audited financials, please click on the links below. Make-A-Wish does not engage in any telemarketing in order to raise funds. If you are called by someone purporting to be from Make-A-Wish, please call us at 1-877-574-WISH (9474).